Endless Loop 02B: Avarice
by Katsuko1978
Summary: [Sequel to Cursed Gold] Six weeks after Tokyo, Jounouchi is starting to come into his own as an Alpha leopard... with a few surprises along the way.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: Yuugiou is owned by Takahashi Kazuki. The original storyline is still the intellectual property of Eternal SailorM, who borrowed some ideas from Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. Any original characters are the property of me and Eternal SailorM.

Warnings: AU and some violence at points. Also there will be male/male situations so if you're looking for something where the boys aren't with other boys you took a wrong turn somewhere.

Dedications: My wonderful beta readers Eternal SailorM and Desolate03. Also the kitties Aya, Biscuit and Mika for keeping me company while I type.

* * *

Okay, now I'm pissed. 

Yes, I still love Seto. I may not _be_ in love with him, but if someone were to hurt him, then that person would find himself missing a few limbs. Same goes for Dorobou, Yami, Ryou and Mokuba. Seth... can take care of himself. Trust me; I've seen the body, and Dorobou bitched about the ghost for an hour till Seth threatened to kill the guy again.

But this is _not_ acceptable.

_"Kaiba!"_ I snarl as I slam open his office door. My vampire actually squeaks and jumps at my abrupt entrance. I can just make out another person off to one side, but my focus and ire is on one vampire and one vampire only at the moment.

"Yes, kitten?" Said oh so casually too, in direct contrast with the nervous concern in his scent. Seto still loves me too, and I think he'd kill for me again if it came down to it.

That doesn't keep me from being pissed off at the moment, though.

"Exactly _when_ were you planning to tell me that someone's been trying to kill Dorobou?"

"You didn't tell him?"

Ah, and my Beta speaks. I guess if I hadn't been so damn annoyed when I stalked in I would have realized his scent was 'active.' Still wish I knew how the hell a three hundred seventy-five year old vampire can maintain a complexion to rival Malik Ishtar's and smell like sunlight, but I digress.

"Well, Seto?" he prompts again, and it's both funny _and_ freaky to see Seth giving his brother the infamous Kaiba 'I _am_ God' glare.

Seto heaves an unnecessary sigh. "I was hoping that the wolves could diffuse the situation before the activity escalated," he admits. "Besides, if Katsuya practically tears other Weres in half for looking at one of us funny, I shudder to think what he'd do if he got his hands on a would-be assassin."

"He's an Alpha, hikari," Seth says for what has to be the thousandth time since he rolled back into town a few weeks ago. "You can't expect him to _not_ act when his human pard is endangered."

Seth, my Beta, is a godsend. The man is a wealth of knowledge; hell, he was the first to realize that I'm an Alpha, which was the whole reason Hirutani tried to keep me a submissive for so long. I like him, especially since his presence makes my vampire happy.

"Damned _right_ I'll act," I say. "If I catch one of these bastards, I'll spread him or her out on the front lawn as a warning."

"That... could be messy."

"Not to mention time-consuming."

"Don't think I won't." From their twin expressions I can see that they know I'm completely serious. "And _don't_ keep shit like this from me, Seto. You know I always find out."

I don't bother to wait for an answer, opting to leave the Kaibas to whatever work they were doing when I interrupted. Kaiba Corp doesn't run itself, you know, and I have other things to worry about at the moment.

That bastard my brothers are unfortunate enough to call 'father' has sent people into my territory. That is bad enough on its own, but his people are attacking my pard. Just because my pard consists of three humans, four vampires, one very strange spirit and twenty-odd werewolves doesn't make it any less a pard. And as the Alpha male, any attempts on my pard are _my_ problem.

I half-snarl as I stalk back down to the main hall, where I tend to do most of my pacing and thinking. I suppose I _could_ go to my room to do this but, well, I don't really _have_ my own room here. When we first moved in about two months ago I crashed in Seto's room. That lasted all of three weeks, when we realized that attempting to maintain a romantic relationship wasn't going to be fair to either of us. He told me that I could stay there are long as I wanted, but I shifted into Dorobou's room almost immediately. And although he says he doesn't mind, I know at some point he's going to take Yami to bed; I plan on shifting to another room when that time comes.

So, yeah. Hall is for pacing.

All right. Breathe. What are my options?

First option is to let the whole thing slide, allow the wolves to handle it. But since the hits keep coming that rules out number one. Next, I could start shadowing Dorobou and Yami. I know Mai-san is my brother's official bodyguard, but she can't be everywhere at once. I'll keep this option in mind. Number three, I could start calling in some favours. There are about half a dozen members of my former pard who owe me for letting them live after they came looking for trouble. The American and his mate are at the top of the list; Keith needs to accept that he's neither an Alpha nor a Beta. At best, he's a Delta male, but until he figures that out then he's of no use to my pard.

Option number four, I can call in reinforcements from Tokyo. True, there are no wereleopards there, but the tigers owe me. Kajiki Ryouta has been back and forth a dozen times acting as messenger between Seto and Pegasus, and every time he's apologized for what happened. For a while I was pissed, and there's no _way_ I'll forget, but I did finally accept the apology. In return I was given the offer of help if my pard ever needs it. This situation may well call for an assist.

All in all, I think my best options at the moment are numbers two and three. Of the six leopards owing me, probably Keith, Chono and Dartz are my top three. Actually the latter may be best to approach; when I last, erm, spoke with him, he said he hated his Nimir Raj as much as I do.

A knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts. I frown slightly; it can't be anyone trying to get at Dorobou or security never would have let him get this far. Taking a few steps closer to the partially open window, I scent the air... and immediately turn around and head towards the kitchen.

I do not want to deal with Malik or Marik right now.

I slip out the service entrance; no one on staff ever makes mention of it as I do this most of the time. Once I'm outside, I take a moment to calm my breathing. For whatever reason, Malik _always_ sets my nerves on edge. I've been fortunate enough to have _not_ met Marik... at least as far as I know. No matter, I need to be focused right now, something I have trouble with around that man.

An odd scent comes to me on the breeze, and I scowl. There's a hint of Cat to it, either leopard or tiger; I'm leaning towards the former. Honestly, I know my kind are Seto's animal to call, but he's gotten it under control with help from Seth. All these leopards that come are mostly trying to, and I quote, "usurp my position as the Master's favourite." They're all morons for trying to attack an Alpha.

Sniffing the air again, I bite back a growl. This Cat's scent is conflicted, youthful but not young; at least two years turned unless I miss my guess. Luckily, I'm downwind of him so I'll be able to catch him off guard... unless he decides to move from his spot. Don't think he's going to, though; for whatever reason he went right from the gate to the front of the house. I opt to ignore how odd it is that this Cat hasn't searched the grounds for me and slip around the side to where I can _just_ see the front stoop and whoever is standing there.

...what the fuck?

And add one more reason to kill Hirutani to the list.

It's a kid. A goddamn _kid_. At a glance he can't be much older than sixteen, and he's smaller than Yami. He's being very still but glances at the door every few seconds as if he expects someone to come tell him to either leave or go in... side...

Malik, you bastard. That tears it; the man can't be completely human.

"Kit," I say as I approach the younger Were; he makes a startled sound and looks at me with huge grey eyes. "Are you lost?"

"N-no, sir," he replies, hands clenched into nervous fists on his knees. "The _gaijin_ told me to wait."

"For...?"

The kid shrugs. "Dunno what for. He just said 'wait.' I... just wanted to see _him_." The last part is said so softly that a human would have missed it completely. He's uncertain, and there are layers of hurt that are almost tangible around him.

I make my decision. "Get up, kit, and come inside."

Big eyes snap back up to meet mine. "What? Really? But the _gaijin--_"

"The _gaijin_ does not live here nor is he the Alpha; _I_ am. Now come inside so we can feed you and get you cleaned up before I go rip that bastard's head off and spit down his neck." This time the kit scrambles to his feet, brushing the dust from his jeans as he moves. "What's your name, kit?"

"I--it's Ryuzaki, Jounouchi-sama."

Oh, for--I'm not one for formality, and if Dorobou hears the kit call me that _I'll_ never hear the end of it. "Don't be so formal, Ryuzaki. Inside now."

"Yes, sir, Jounouchi-sempai."

...eh, I can live with _that_.

* * *

That's the end of Chapter One. Yes, it's rather short, but I can promise that later chapters will be longer. There's so much ground I have to cover in this story, and although sometimes I'll coincide with the events taking place in **Blood and Sacrifice** for the most part the two 'books' will stand alone.

Just FYI for those who didn't know yet, Angel, Desolate and I have come up with the name for the saga: Endless Loop. Book One is, of course, **Color of Life**, Side Book One is **Cursed Gold**. Book Two is the aforementioned **Blood and Sacrifice**; Side Book Two is the story you just finished reading the first chapter of; Side Book Three is being written by Desolate and may or may not be entitled **Silver Blue**. Book Three will be all Angel's again, tentatively titled **Automatic Paranoia**. I have yet to decide if I'll be merely assisting on the final book in the series or if I'll write a third book of my own in the series. Time will tell.

Chapter Two coming soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimers and warnings can be found in Chapter One.

Dedications: My wonderful beta readers Eternal SailorM and Desolate03. Also the kitties Aya, Biscuit and Mika for keeping me company while I type.

For those who may be wondering at the pairings that will be mentioned, I suggest taking another look at the Epilogue to **Cursed Gold**. But, just in case you missed the hints, I'll go ahead and mention them here: the Darkshipping from CG and CoL remains in effect, as well as hints towards Heartshipping (Ryou/Yuugi). My focus is... well, since Malik and Marik are two-in-one I'm not sure if this classifies as Irateshipping or Fadeshipping. _Is_ there a term for Malik/Marik/Jounouchi?

* * *

My first instinct upon stepping back inside the house is to step _right_ back out again. I mean, hell, I don't _need_ to glance in the 'informal' den to know that's where Dorobou and Malik are talking. Could be Marik, though, seeing as how Yami's in there giving off a _ton_ of nervous vibes. Yeah, I know that Dorobou says Marik is an _ahmet_ or the Egyptian version of a soul eater, but I don't _think_ I've met Marik. Either way, I'm not ready to deal with either of Ishtar's persona... yet.

I silently lead Ryuzaki to the kitchen, noting that he sticks pretty close to me. I can't blame him. The Kaiba place is huge; we actually lost Mokuba in here that time he was hopped up on a blood and espresso blend. Took us three hours to find him again; kid kept slipping by the wolves, and the only reason we finally caught him was because the elder Kaiba vamps and I cornered him in the third floor sauna (and no, I have _no_ damned clue why vampires would even need a sauna, unless they _like_ to sweat or something). Noa's still slightly traumatized and, ahem, arranged an accident for the espresso machine. I never knew those things could break into so many tiny little pieces...

And apparently he's now taking revenge on the cappuccino maker for whatever reason.

"Noa, the hell're you doing?" Can I just mention here that it's funny as hell to see an eighty-some year old vampire who looks twelve jump a foot in the air _and_ squeak when you sneak up on him? I wouldn't suggest that a human try it, but it is hilarious. So is the glare he's giving me, a cuter version of the Kaiba glare. I swear that expression is genetic; it _has_ to be if all four of them can manage it.

"Don't _do_ that!" Noa scowls, the glare reverting to a pout when I snort in amusement. "And since you asked _so nicely_"--Noa's good at the dripping sarcasm thing--"I'm cutting off Mokuba's caffeine supply."

Oh, _fuck_ me, is that why he was practically buzzing when I stopped him--literally--to ask if he knew about the attempted hits on Dorobou! "Cappuccino and blood?" I ask, dreading the answer.

"I may need your help pinning him down later."

"Fuck."

"That's what Seth-niisama is going to say when I tell him," is the reply before Noa goes back to dissecting the cappuccino maker. Ryuzaki is just staring, and it's not difficult to guess why. After all, how often _does_ one see a preteen vampire with turquoise hair taking apart a kitchen appliance with a steak knife? The only reason he isn't a brunet like the rest of his family is through the modern miracle of hair dye. I'll never forget Dorobou's reaction to seeing Noa's hair bleached out pure white. It went to the current shade shortly thereafter, and he maintains it well.

After a few seconds his head snaps back up. "Who's the stray?"

I was wondering if he'd noticed. "This is Ryuzaki. Kit, meet Kaiba Noa, resident pain in the ass."

"Love you, too, fur ball. Hand me a hammer?"

I hand over the requested tool. "And just _what_ are you converting it to?" Noa shrugs, so I add, "You could just drop it off the roof like last time."

He snickers this time. "No, that was you, Katsuya-nii, and you threw it at Mazaki when she tried to slip past the wolves."

...oh yeah, I'd forgotten that part. Bitch never learns. It's sad, really.

Back to the subject at hand. "I need a favour, Noa." When his eyes are locked on mine, I continue: "Get some food into the kit--meat would be best--then see if there's an open room somewhere between mine and Seto's for him."

"Jounouchi-sempai?"

"Noa's pard," I say, feeling a surge of satisfaction as he relaxes from his on-guard stance. "You're safe here."

"Where're you gonna be?" Noa asks curiously even as he opens the fridge in search of any steaks Dorobou has yet to find.

"Having a chat," I spit the word out, "with a blond idiot in Dorobou's employ."

"Have fun, and don't let Malik bite you. He might give you something."

I roll my eyes before tugging the knit cap off Ryuzaki's head and ruffling his hair, eliciting a startled purr at the action. "Stick by Noa for now; I'll come talk with you later." I slip from the kitchen, biting back a laugh when the vampire mentions that the kit looks a bit like Mokuba. I have the feeling that won't last long; Noa'll probably put blond streaks in the kit's hair or something.

* * *

I make my way to the den just in time to hear Malik say... something about celebrating. I can only assume this means that Dorobou finally told him that he doesn't have to work at Kaiba Corp anymore. Now seems the perfect time to speak up.

"Celebrate _after_ you explain a few things to me, Ishtar." My tone sounds cold even to me. I seem to have picked up a bad habit or two from Seto over the past couple of months.

Malik is completely unaffected. "Hi, Katsuya," he says cheerfully, and I see Yami wince at the use of my given name. There are only a few people who have that privilege, and Malik is not one of them. That doesn't stop him from using it, though. "Did you find my present then?"

What the--! Even Dorobou looks confused on that one, and he's known Malik since way before Domino. "Present?" I prompt, a hint of confusion in my voice.

"The leopard kitten."

I heave an annoyed sigh. "And just _why_ did you make the kit wait outside?" I half-snarl. Really, I can't follow the man's logic at all.

"I knew you'd want to find him yourself," Malik says with a little shrug. Dorobou speaks up before I can ask anything else.

"Whoa, time out. By 'kitten,' you don't mean a Werekitty younger than Kitty here, do you?"

"The kit's not more than sixteen," I reply; Dorobou doesn't look any happier than I am that Hirutani turned another kid (and yes, I'm counting myself in there. Sixteen was young to be turned but fourteen is a hell of a lot worse). I address Malik again. "Just _where_ did you find him?"

Malik gives another absent shrug. "West side."

"Please tell me that means 'west side of the mansion' or 'west side of the street'," Dorobou groans; I have a bad feeling about this. If the answer is what I'm thinking, if Hirutani has gone from just being a bastard and pedophile to whoring out the Cats, he is _more_ than just dead. I'll make him _beg_ me to kill him.

Malik shakes his head, and I feel my stomach drop. "West side of town, on a corner. _Working_." He shrugs yet again, the movement so slight that you'd miss it if you weren't looking directly at him. "I didn't think Katsuya would approve so I, ahem, took care of his handler and brought him to you," the last part is addressed directly to me.

This... is not like the Malik Ishtar I'm used to. That Malik is somewhat crazy and would just as soon annoy the hell out of me as do me a favour. Basically kidnapping one of Hirutani's and bringing the kit to me--in a roundabout way--are outside the realm of normal, which leads to a very confused me.

"Hirutani'll try to take him away," I point out; it needn't be said that there _will_ be a fight when he tries to take my kit from me.

"You won't let that happen." Okay, when did Malik gain a serious side? Shaking my head slightly, I turn to face my brother and friend. Dorobou seems annoyed and Yami looks like he wants to say something.

"You two stay out of this," I growl. "You've got enough on your hands, Dorobou. I'll take care of this on my own."

"At least tell Treeboy what's going on," Dorobou replies; he's obviously not pleased with being sidelined but I'm not risking my humans' lives for a Cat issue. My only reply is a sharp nod before I start towards the door. I'll fill Seto in then see what Ryuzaki and Noa are up to--

Or at least that was the plan. I get three steps before I feel fingers close tight on my arm. I turn to see what the _hell_ Ishtar thinks he's doing; before I can even think the words his other hand clasps the back of my neck and pulls me forward, and the next thing I'm aware of is that he's kissing me.

And I think I might be kissing him back.

My only defense is that when someone is that good a kisser, you _have_ to respond. It's either that or admit that for whatever reason my brain shut down for a few critical seconds when he initiated this kiss. The worse part is, it doesn't kick into gear again until Malik (Marik?) bites my tongue.

Shocked at my own behaviour, I manage to get one hand between us and shove. Whoa, how'd that hand get on my ass and why didn't I notice it five seconds ago! I use both hands to push him away this time, keeping him quite literally at arms' length. And he looks way too pleased with himself, one hand locked on my wrist as if he intends to do it again.

"What the _fuck!_" I growl, wiping my mouth with the back of my free hand--more like scrubbing, actually. "Are you _completely_ insane!"

"You know you liked it," he replies, smirk in place. His tone and demeanor are completely changed; I'm facing off with a predator here, and I have the feeling that _I'm _the prey. So why doesn't the prospect frighten me?

Before I can dwell on that question, Dorobou speaks up: "Marik, quit messing with my cat." Damn it, he sounds half-amused. I'm so glad he's enjoying my lapse of sanity; at least one of us is.

Wait a--Marik, he said Marik, right? Holy shit, _this_ is the (as Dorobou puts it) more psychotic half! He isn't striking me as psychotic. Potentially masochistic if he doesn't let go of my arm in about a minute, but not exactly psychotic.

"Messing with Katsuya?" he fairly purrs, still not letting go of me. "Boss, I haven't even warmed up yet."

"Don't make me kill you tonight."

Marik just smirks at that but finally drops my wrist... well, after licking the back of my hand he does.

"Better," Dorobou says, apparently opting to ignore the last little bit. I take a few steps backward towards the door, wanting to put as much space as I can between me and Ishtar at the moment.

"I need to see to the kit and let Seto know what's going on, so I'll just see you sometime that's not now," I manage to blurt out as an explanation before skittering out the door. I can hear Ishtar's amused chuckle following me as I rush down the hall.

* * *

I did a tiny bit of research and found out that there is a name for Marik/Malik/Jounouchi: Fakeshipping. So, yeah, I'm writing Fakeshipping for **Avarice**.

Chapter Three coming soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimers and warnings can be found in Chapter One. 

Dedications: My wonderful beta readers Eternal SailorM and Desolate03. Also the kitties Aya, Biscuit and Mika for keeping me company while I type.

* * *

It's a good thing I opted to check on the kit first. During the time I was trying to figure out why Noa decided to put a thick purple streak in the middle of Ryuzaki's bangs, Seto was recovering from what my beta will only call "an attack, nothing to worry about." I'd be more inclined to believe him if his scent didn't convey so much concern. 

At the moment, though, one would never know Seto had even twitched after I talked to him earlier. "You're going to what?"

"Gut Hirutani," I repeat; Seth is giving me an odd look. I wonder if Malik--Marik--his scent is lingering on my clothes. I knew I should have changed out of my school uniform when I got home...

"Why now?" Seto demands. "If I recall, you said you wouldn't act unless he threatened your pard."

"He will." Wow, twin expressions of confusion. "Ishtar was here earlier. He, ah, liberated a kit about Mokuba's age from the west side, brought him here. Hirutani can have him back over my dead body."

Never let it be said that I can't manipulate the Master of the City now that we aren't a couple; the second I mention Mokuba's name, he snaps to attention, eyes narrowing as he makes the connection with Hirutani's increased levels of bastardhood. By the time I finish speaking, he's managed to snap his pen in two.

"And you're going alone?" Seth asks, still giving me odd looks. I am definitely going to change before I face off with Hirutani--and can't forget to shower. Maybe I'll start to feel closer to normal if I get all traces of Malik's scent off my skin.

I shake my head. "Not alone, per se. I have a few Cats owing me a favour or three. I'll call in as many as I can to watch my back."

"You sure you can trust them?"

"One of them I'm almost positive I can trust at my back. The rest, well, it's a risk I have to take." And I think that was the wrong thing to say. "I'll only call them in if my first choice says no."

Seto's eyes are glacial; good thing I'm practically immune to Kaiba glares. "If your first choice says no, then you _will_ take some of the wolves with you."

It's an acceptable concession. "Agreed. So long as Dorobou and Yami are kept out of it. I don't want them at any more risk than they already are."

"You can't keep them alive forever," Seth says quietly as I reach the door. He is all too aware of mortality; he's seen more people die than anyone else I've ever run with, Dorobou included.

I pause, one hand on the doorframe, and give my beta and my vampire a tight smile. "I know that. But I'll keep my humans alive as long as I possibly can." Without another word I leave. Nothing more needs to be said.

Before I can pull my cell from my pocket, one of the late shift approaches me. This is not normal, since most of the vamps save the Kaiba clan and Kisara-san tend to give me a wide berth. I can't even recall this guy's name, so I hope my questioning expression is good enough.

Lady Luck is on my side. "Jounouchi-san, there's someone at the gate asking to see you. It's not the person who was here earlier," he's quick to add. In all honesty, though, I wouldn't put it past Ishtar to still be somewhere on the grounds but managing to keep downwind.

"Did he give a name?" I ask, following him out of the house and towards the estate's main gates. It couldn't be Kaasan or Shizuka; they've already been here half a dozen times, and my little sister has _all_ the guards charmed by her upbeat personality. They would have just let them in and called my cell.

The vamp shakes his head. "No, sir. He just said he was sent by a... peer."

Well, fuck. Hirutani's sent someone to retrieve his 'property' already. May as well see who I'll be dealing with.

My steps falter for just a moment as a slight breeze kicks up, bringing my visitor's scent to me a full minute before I see him. Either my former Nimir Raj is a complete idiot or I have to rethink my plan of attack. The other Cat glances up from his contemplation of the sidewalk and gives me a half-smile, mismatched eyes guarded.

"Dartz," I say, giving a short nod and keeping my gaze locked with his. Last time we were face to face, he was trying to tear my throat out. Even though he owes me a favour, I'm not dropping my guard so long as he's acting on Hirutani's orders.

"Jounouchi," he replies, returning the nod then lowering his eyes. I'm a bit surprised but don't show it; that is a sign of submission. And even in the presence of another alpha, a beta Were or lower is _never_ to show inferiority to any but his own Nimir Raj, Ulfric or King.

"What do you want?" I ask him after a moment. Along with his natural musky scent, I'm picking up traces of blood... and all of it's his own.

"My Nimir Raj has sent me to retrieve his youngest," Dartz says, eyes still lowered. "He said that this is a simple misunderstanding and that I am not to return without the kit."

"And if you _do_ return without him?" The only reply is a faint tremor from the turquoise-haired leopard. I understand perfectly: If Dartz goes back empty-handed, Hirutani will throw him to the rest of the pard. He's already injured; they would tear him apart in seconds.

Still, there's only one way I can answer. "Ryuzaki stays here. If Hirutani wants him, the bastard can come himself." I start to turn, but stop when for the second time this evening a hand attaches itself to my arm. This time when I turn back it's to terrified yellow-and-teal eyes.

"I-I can't go back there," he mewls, "not again. It wasn't my fault, but I'm _glad_ the kitten escaped. I _said_ so; I shouldn't have, but I did and I can't go back. Please, don't make me go back, Alpha."

I think I just saw one of the vampire guards faint. Probably because they never really believed it when Seth referred to me as an alpha Were; another Were acknowledging me as such has to come as a shock to them. I'm less concerned about their opinion of me and more aware that Dartz is only injured because he spoke out.

Even when I was still in Hirutani's pard, Dartz was outspoken. He never played at being an alpha; in fact he acted more of an Omega even though his standing was higher than mine. Now that I think about it, he never met my eyes for more than a minute and refused time and again to rape me on Hirutani's command. Led to a lot of suffering on his part but... he knew. He probably always knew, but he only feels free enough to acknowledge it now.

"Jounouchi-san?" one of the guards asks; he still seems rather taken aback but has recovered quickly.

"Call Kisara-san, have her prepare a room," I reply; Dartz's eyes snap to meet mine. "And I want the wolves notified in the morning that there are two leopards on the grounds. They are pard and are to be treated as such."

I don't think Dartz's eyes have ever looked prettier. Happiness suits him so much better than sorrow.

* * *

Ryuzaki was very... enthusiastic when he realized Dartz was going to be staying as well. I don't think I've heard that many 'thank yous' in the course of a minute since the Espresso Situation, after which the kit pounced the older Were and knocked them both on the floor. Noa's largest source of fascination with the whole encounter was discovering that, somehow, Dartz's hair is naturally that colour. 

I somehow manage to convince Noa that it's time for all Weres in the house to go to bed (which is a lie, as I'm pretty sure the wolves are still partying hard out back) and see that Ryuzaki and Dartz get settled in for the remainder of the night. My Cats both need medical attention, so I'll have to contact the doctor in the morning. I just know Varon's going to chew me out for not calling tonight, but they both need sleep too. And they'll rest better since I know it's much safer here with all the guards Seto's got on duty 24/7 now.

I frown for a second. Dorobou and Yami haven't had more than a minute of couple-time since they got home--I swear I saw Mokuba in there with them when I was bringing Dartz inside--so it's a safe bet that I should make myself scarce from the room tonight.

As I mentioned earlier, I really don't have my own bedroom here. I do, however, have a room where I keep my stuff that happens to also contain a bed. Tonight may be a good time to utilize it. Yeah, I'm used to having someone in the room with me, but I should be fine on my own.

Decision made, I go to Dorobou's room and write a quick note to let him know where I got to before going to 'my' room. It's rather Spartan, actually, since I don't really accumulate much. True, I've got a few textbooks thrown on the desk and I usually toss my school clothes there when I get home, but there's not really anything in the room that says "Jounouchi Katsuya lives here."

I heave a sigh as I close the door behind me, tossing my uniform jacket towards the desk without looking. Barely a second later I pause, mainly because I didn't hear the damn thing hit the desk. Hell, it didn't hit _anything_. I scent the air, but the room is so disused that I can't smell anything aside from stale air. Note to self, throw open a window when I get a minute.

Before I can turn, my worst-case scenario confirms itself--or rather, himself: "Your box springs suck." It's all I can do to not beat my head against the wall.

"What are you doing here, Malik?"

"Waiting for you, obviously." And he says it as if it's the most natural thing in the world for him to be doing right now. I turn and, yep, he's sitting on my desk with my jacket draped over one leg. "How the hell can you sleep in that?" he demands, waving one arm in the direction of the bed.

Okay, there're a couple things I could do here. I can ignore him, but judging by what happened earlier that will only encourage him. I can just tell him the truth, but that might lead to a whole discussion that isn't any of Ishtar's damn business. Or I can call for Kisara-san.

"I don't."

Holy Christ on a motorbike, I think the temperature just dropped ten degrees in here. That was probably the wrong thing to say, but I can't take it back now.

"Really? So where _are_ you sleeping then?" he demands, and I'm wondering why it's any of his business. "Is it with Bakura? Doesn't Mutou have anything to say about you fucking his boyfriend? Or is he fucking you too?"

"First of all, eww. Second, yeah, I sleep in Dorobou's room most of the time. Third, Yami and Dorobou haven't passed the cuddling stage yet. Besides, I have no interest whatsoever in sex." Why I'm telling him all this, I don't know. Maybe I just wanna clear the air or something.

Whatever the reason, it seems to have calmed Malik down. "Oh." He's quiet for a minute, long enough for me to peel off my shirt and start searching for my pajamas. "I'm sorry. And I'm sorry about Marik, you know, kissing you like that earlier."

That causes me to pause, and I turn my head slightly to regard him. The only light in the room is from the moon outside, but it's enough for my eyes. Malik looks a bit lost.

"He really should have asked first."

Nope, not lost, just thinking apparently. I roll my eyes and head into the bathroom to change. Malik pauses outside the door before speaking again.

"It's not fair, though. I didn't get to kiss you," and yep, he's whining. "Just like Marik got to visit the Boss in the hospital but I didn't."

What--! I yank open the door and stare at the Egyptian for a moment. "Dorobou never mentioned seeing you while he was there."

"Because he didn't see _me_," Malik replies. "Marik went and talked to him, but he only told me afterwards." This is so damned confusing. He talks like they're separate people.

"What do you mean? You and Marik are one and the same, right?"

Now he's laughing at me. Well, not really laughing, more like snickering, but still. I'm glad my life is an endless source of amusement to these psychos around me, really. Just ignore the sarcasm. I start to shut the door again, but Malik grabs it before I get it halfway closed.

"Sorry," he says, and it almost sounds like he means it. "Bakura asked that same thing back when we met, I had to laugh then too." Then his face goes all serious, and I find my grip on the doorknob loosening. Damn him and my curiosity.

"You've met my sister." It's not a question, but I nod anyway. Isis and Kaasan are in the same coven; I've known Isis almost forever. "She's only half human."

I think he expected me to be surprised by the revelation; he smells and looks so disappointed when I nod. "She mentioned that when Kaasan started working with her. You aren't entirely human either; everyone knows that."

And he's shaking his head. "No, that's where everyone is wrong. Maybe you should sit down or something before I say anymore." The most I concede here is to exit the bathroom (thankfully I managed to get changed while he was confusing me earlier) and lean against the wall by the balcony. Malik frowns at me but continues anyway: "I was supposed to be a twin."

...this is new. I quirk an eyebrow at him. "I've heard of this. Sometimes during the early stages of pregnancy the second embryo is absorbed by the first. So you're some sort of... chimera?"

"No. For whatever reason, my twin developed a personality of his own as we got older. He also insisted on taking all of the _ahmet_ side so I could be completely human," Malik says as if it's a completely logical thing to have happened. "Mother left before he could make his presence known, and Father..." He shrugs; all I know is that Isis and Malik left Egypt about ten years ago. Right now, I _really_ don't want to know more than that.

I blink and try to voice my thoughts. "So you and your twin--Marik--just what? Coexist? Share everything?"

"Oh, we disagree most of the time," Malik says. "Hell, we only agree on two things. Can this conversation be over now? I'd really like to kiss you."

Talk about a one-track mind...! I hold up one hand as if to push him back should he try anything right now. "Not yet," I find myself saying; _do_ I want him/them to kiss me again! "I think I need to know what those two things you agree upon are first."

"Well, one is that Bakura's the boss," Malik says easily enough. "The other is that you are absolutely beautiful. So," he adds, and I realize that he's right in front of me, close enough that I can feel his breath on my face, "can I kiss you now? Please?"

Something in his scent--his sincerity--and in his almost whispered words leads me to only one logical reply: "Okay." Then his hands are on my face and his lips meet mine, and words are meaningless.

People talk about how a first kiss is supposed to be all, I dunno, magical and perfect and not at all awkward. That's not exactly true; at least I don't think so. In all honesty, my first kiss was an hour ago; and while Marik is one _hell_ of a kisser, there weren't exactly angels singing or anything. Marik was all passion and want and demanding; Malik is so completely different. This kiss is more... well, gentleness and coaxing and a hint of need.

It's intoxicating.

By the time I can think beyond abstract once more my hands apparently decided they belong threaded in Malik's hair. That's fine by me, since one of his arms has wrapped itself around my waist and I think we somehow walked from the balcony to the bed while my mind was elsewhere. That's also okay; if we keep this up much longer I may have to sit down.

Okay, lying down works, too. And I think I might be kissing Marik now; he just bit my tongue again. I don't think I mind much, unless he just growled instead of me. I'm pretty sure it was me, though. And then his free hand slips down to--

"No." I shove him up off me as I speak. Was he even listening when I said sex isn't high on my list of things to do? Apparently not, since he starts to say something only to abruptly snap his mouth closed. From the slightly glazed look in his eyes I'll just assume that Malik is filling him in. Now that I know that they aren't just one person, I can see a slight difference between the two. Marik's eyes are a bit narrower, slightly darker in colour too. Come to think of it, Marik doesn't smile either, just little smirks and smug looks like the one from earlier this evening. And when, exactly, did I even start noticing these things? I've barely looked twice at the man before today...

Pushing aside that train of thought, I sit up, forcing Marik to shift off to one side, and swing my legs off the edge of the bed. I'm not running away this time, just rebuilding a few walls. I'm not sure how he got past my defenses, but it won't happen again; I can't _let_ it happen again.

"I'm sorry." That almost makes me jump, turn to face him, but I don't. He sounds like he means it too. "I... I should probably go before I make things worse."

"You don't have to." What the hell am I saying? "Just... don't, okay?"

"Okay."

I nod slightly, still wondering why I didn't tell him to get the hell out of my room. Maybe it's because I'm tired; other than that, I have no clue.

"Lie down," he says after a few minutes. "You need to sleep. I won't do anything; I swear on Malik's soul." I'm assuming that's a pretty strong oath; his scent has that tinge of honesty in it again, and I see it in his eyes when I glance at him over my shoulder.

My answer isn't voiced; I just look at him for a moment before settling back onto the bed, facing the window. I'm tired and my mind can't really try to interpret the Ishtar logic at the moment. A quiet sigh comes from the man before I feel the bed shift slightly; then there's warmth at my back and arms wrapping themselves around my waist.

"Marik..."

"This is all I'm going to do," he replies, and I can feel his breath on the back of my neck. It's oddly comforting. My eyes are heavy, and as I drift into sleep the last thing I hear is, "Pleasant dreams, little suncat."

* * *

For those unfamiliar with the Anita Blake universe upon which the Endless Loop saga is loosely based, there are different terms for alpha males in the different Were 'races.' Nimir Raj is the term for an alpha male Cat, while Ulfric is used for alpha male Wolves and King is for the alpha male Rat. The feminine forms used for alpha females are Nimir Raja, Lupa and Queen respectively. 

Chapter Four coming soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimers and warnings can be found in Chapter One. 

Dedications: My wonderful beta readers Eternal SailorM and Desolate03. Also the kitties Aya, Biscuit and Mika for keeping me company while I type.

* * *

When I open my eyes, I notice two things immediately. The first is that the curtains are open and sunlight is pouring into the room, which means that it must be early afternoon. The second is that Marik isn't next to me anymore, and from how faint his scent is, he's been gone for some time. For some reason, this second fact bothers me. It's not like I expected Ishtar to stay or anything; why would anyone want to spend their time with someone like me? 

I push the thought aside and go get that shower I should have had last night. It helps clear my head a little, and after I dress, I head off to check on my Cats. After that, I'll see what Dorobou and Yami are up to. And no, I am not just trying to get the Ishtars out of my head. 

I'm halfway down the hall to Dorobou's room when I hear a shout of, "Hey, Kid!" I can't help but grin as I glance over my shoulder at the wolf approaching. If there's anyone cooler than Mai-san, it's her mate. Jean-Claude Magnum is the Ulfric of the pack Seto hired, and the only one who doesn't see my alpha status as either threat or challenge. He calls things like he sees them, and to him.… 

"Been looking for you, Kid. There's a couple of messages for you." He pauses an moment, apparently deciding which to give me first. "Bakura and Mutou have a lunch date with Miss Cynthia, they left about half an hour ago." Huh, that's odd. I guess that just leaves my Cats to take care of. I tune back in to hear Magnum say, "And he'll be back by four." 

What? "Excuse me?" 

Magnum grins in a manner that puts me on guard. "That Egyptian kid left around ten, and said to let you know he'll be back by four." 

Did I mention that sometimes Magnum can be a little, well, creepy? Seriously, I took a shower so that I could get _their_ scent off of me but he's looking at me like he knows something I don't. 

I try to play dumb. "So?" 

And apparently it's not going to work. "So, if you really want to fool a Were's nose, Kid, you should put on some cologne or something. That might disguise the boy's scent a little better. You might be able to fool the vampires, but not one of our kind." 

"Fuck," I mutter, leaning against the wall and (barely) resisting the urge to beat my head against it. "If my Cats say anything, I'll smack the pair of them." 

"They won't," Magnum says with a slight shrug. "You're their alpha, and they'll be curious at most. Especially the young one." 

He does have a point. Plus, I'm pretty sure Dartz caught _his_ scent on me last night but didn't say anything. It's possible he was just being polite, but I can't be too sure. 

"Thanks," I finally reply after a moment. "Have my Cats eaten yet?" 

"Twice, and Mai called the doctor to come take a look at them." A slight smirk crosses his lips. "Should I repeat all the things Varon called you or let you assume the worse?" 

"Pissed?" 

"No, more frustrated that you didn't contact him last night. But," the wolf adds, "he also said that they needed to rest more, and that you made the right decision in letting them do so." His expression shifts slightly, and I get the feeling he's concerned. "Stop second-guessing yourself, Kid. You're an alpha through-and-through. Trust your instincts. They won't lead you wrong." 

Magnum gives me another smile before turning to leave. I know he meant well, but I'm not reassured. After all, my instincts told me once before that I'd found my mate, only for things to fall apart. How can I _not_ wonder if they're wrong this time as well?

* * *

"So what's the story with you and the poster child for psychotic behaviour?" The question catches me off guard, and I nearly choke on my water. Once I stop coughing, I give Dartz what I hope is an innocent, confused expression. From the amused gleam in his eyes, though, I must be failing miserably.

"What?"

"Ishtar. His scent's all over you, Alpha," Dartz blithely informs me. Thankfully Ryuzaki's more interested in devouring every bit of literature in the library than in whatever his elders are talking about. Of course, the kit might be trying to find Mokuba's porn stash, which'll keep him busy for a while whether he finds it or not.

I heave a tired sigh. "He's a friend." Is he? I know he calls Dorobou 'Boss,' but I have no idea where I stand in his mind. "He brought the kit here; you know that much."

"And he apparently came back after I got here," Dartz replies instantly. "His scent was faint last night, but it's pretty strong today."

Damn it.

"So he spent the night," I shrug, attempting to remain nonchalant. The other cat frowns slightly, apparently thinking of how to phrase his next thought. I can tell I'm not going to like it much no matter how delicately he phrases it.

"If he spent the night," he finally says, "then why didn't he try to fuck you?"

On _that_ the kit's head snaps up. Just my luck, Ryuzaki's a little on the perverted side... I should probably blush under the scrutiny my Cats are giving me, but I can't seem to be embarrassed over this. Go, me.

"Oh, not for lack of trying on his part," is my reply, and from the subtle sadness clouding Dartz's eyes and scent he knows exactly who slammed on the breaks. The kit looks confused; I have the feeling he's about to add his thoughts to the discussion.

"The kinda cute but really freaky _gaijin_ that brought me to you, Jounouchi-sempai? I think he must _really_ like you if he stayed after you told him no," Ryuzaki says decisively. "_He_ never took 'no' as an acceptable response."

Dartz growls softly. "Which is why we're here, kit. Alpha won't let _him_ come near us again." Damn straight, I won't. Next time I see Hirutani, he's not getting away with a few missing limbs and scratches. He isn't walking away at all.

"And on that note, any and all discussion of my non-existent sex life is closed," I say, stretching my limbs before standing. "Hope Seto doesn't mind us snacking in the informal den."

"Doubt it." All three of us start and snap our attention to the door. I almost didn't recognize his voice, raspy and weak as it sounds right now.

Marik grins, the expression somewhat sickly, and manages to take one step before his legs give out. Before he can come close to hitting the floor, I dart forward and catch him.

"Marik, what happened?" I head myself ask; that can't be my voice, why would I sound half-scared? There's no way in hell I can be worried about him. After all, he's scarier than I am and more than capable of taking care of himself... right?

He manages a weak laugh. "Ate someone who disagreed with me," he replies. If I didn't know what he was I'd almost think I misheard him. Before I have a chance to ask just _who_ was on the lunch menu, Marik's eyes lose focus and he passes out.

Okay. I have an _ahmet_ that shares a human body with his vegetarian twin. Is this on par with Marik eating meat? I bet Malik's punishing him for this one. Well, only one thing I can think of to do right now.

"Dartz, did Mai happen to give you Varon's cell number?"

"Yeah."

"Give him a call." He'll probably yell about coming here twice in one day, but Seto _did_ offer him a position as on-site physician.

"On it, Alpha," Dartz says before heading down the hall. I'm going to have to talk to him about that; I know Hirutani is enough of an ass to make his pard call him 'Master' and 'my Nimir Raj' in his presence, but this 'Alpha' business is already starting to get old.

"Jounouchi-sempai? Should I go wait for Varon-san to tell him where you are?" Ryuzaki asks, grey eyes watching me intently. Trust the kit to keep the situation in perspective. Probably already knows what I'm gonna say too.

"Tell him we're in my room," I reply, knowing full well Varon knows where it is; apparently one of the wolves pointed it out to him once or something. The kit nods and takes off in the direction Dartz went. I turn my attention back to Marik and frown.

"Someone please explain why I'm so compelled to help you," I grumble under my breath. Of course there's no answer, and I can only shake my head as I pick him up.

* * *

"I should start charging Kaiba for house calls."

"Well, you're the one who insisted on turning down Seto's offer," I counter with a shrug. Vivid blue eyes glare at me, but the day I'm scared of Varon is the day I shave my head. Hell, I don't even know if Varon's his first or last name, but he's good at what he does and he's fun to play poker with.

"So, he gonna be okay?" I ask, ignoring the look he's giving me. Ryuzaki and Dartz both perk up slightly; apparently they've decided that if I'm worried about Ishtar then they should be concerned as well.

Varon nods, leaning against the door frame. "You said he's half-soul eater, correct?" I nod--it's close enough to what I said. "A human body isn't designed to digest souls. All I can do is guess that it's causing gastrointestinal pain." Um... mew? "I gave him a sedative. All he can do now is, well, sleep it off."

"Thanks, V," I say, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. 'Sleep if off,' he says, like Marik drank a little too much at the bar or something. "Seriously, you should just move in here. It'd save you the trip."

"I have my practice to think about."

It's a fairly weak argument, and we both know it. Varon _used_ to work at the hospital, but he quit a few years back. Hell, the truth of the matter is, he argued against keeping me in the hospital's long-term facilities back when I was first turned. He's fairly young, true, not much more than twenty-four, but he opted to give up his impending residency rather than compromise his values system. Varon can't get any patients aside from the few Weres who contract silver poisoning and Dorobou. Believe me, the only reason he's protesting at all is due to his pride.

"Seto's paying you more than you make off your practice in a year just to keep Dorobou healthy," I reply with another little shrug. Two thousand yen says he'll claim a couple rooms before the end of the day.

Varon glares at me. "You're a pain in he ass, Jounouchi Katsuya. I should have kept my mouth shut three years ago."

"But then who would keep you on your toes?"

He laughs. "Bad kitty. So, who do I draft to help get my shit here?"

"I'll help," Dartz blurts out before I can say anything. He's quick to add, "I mean, if Alpha says that it's okay."

"I have a name," I say. "It's alright to use it, you know. And grab a couple of wolves to go with; it should make the move go faster."

"Are you sure?" Ah, hell, I _really_ need to get Hirutani out of my city. He's got every Cat in Domino convinced that they can't even sneeze without his permission... well, every Cat aside from me and the kit; don't ask, but there aren't any Tigers in this city. I think they all gravitated to Tokyo a dozen or more years ago, but I'd have to ask Pegasus to find out for sure.

"I just said as much, didn't I?" From his expression, I'm not quite sure he believes me. Ryuzaki speaks up before I can add anything.

"I think it's cool that Jounouchi-sempai lets us call him by name. It means he respects us." Good kitty. Honestly, I already love the pair of them like they're blood; how the hell could any alpha Were treat his pard like they're beneath him if we all feel this way?

"Besides, I think he might kick your ass if you kowtow to him too much," Varon adds with a smirk. I flip him off.

"Ha ha. Go get your doctor crap and get your ass back here." I can't help but grin at Varon's mock-glare. "I'm going to sit with Ishtar for a while, see if I can find out who he ate whenever he wakes up."

"If anyone can get an honest answer out of Malik Ishtar, it'd be you. See you later then, Jounouchi," Varon says with a slight wave as he starts off down the hall.

"We'll be back soon, Al-- Jounouchi-san," Darts adds; I'll have to talk to him about dropping the –san, but it's a little better at least. He runs to catch up with Varon, and I can hear the kit snickering behind me.

"Dartz-kun likes Varon-san," he announces through his laughter.

"He's not very subtle about it," I agree. Let's be honest, he's less subtle than me about it, and that's saying a lot. "So, what are you going to get into this afternoon?"

The kit shrugs. "Maybe I'll go annoy the wolves. Magnum-san said he was going to teach me how to toss Mazaki if she sneaks onto the grounds today."

I... am not surprised. "Have fun, kit. You know where I'll be." I watch him head down the hall before turning to go back into my room. At least now I have some quiet to figure out how to go about dealing with Hirutani.

"Remind me to kick Marik's ass later for this, would you, Katsuya? Thanks."

...never mind.

"I thought you were sedated," I say, giving Ishtar a quick once-over. For all intents and purposes, he seems just fine.

"Marik's the one who needed it," he replies with an easy shrug. "He knows better than to go after a Were, even if the bastard pissed me off, too."

Well, that solves the problem of just how to ask what the hell happened. "Whoa, wait, back up a minute. Marik ate a Were?" A nod and a half-grin; I think he's still feeling a bit of pain despite having shoved most of it off into his twin. "Anyone I know?"

"No one you liked." And that was a snarl that would do any Cat proud.

"Tell me you didn't eat Hirutani. I've got plans for _that_ waste of fur."

Malik shakes his head, and I relax slightly. "No, this jackass was more of a--what's the word again?--_gaijin_ than I am. Big, dumb, blond, loud and _no_ fashion sense."

I can only stare. "You ate Keith?"

"No, _Marik_ ate the guy. I just, y'know, didn't stop him."

I could kiss him right now.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that."

...and either Malik's a mind reader or I said that last little bit out loud. And since I'm fairly sure Dorobou would have mentioned it if the Ishtars could read minds, I need to not blurt out what I'm thinking.

"Hold that thought. _Why_ did Marik eat him? Hell, for that matter, what were you two trying to prove confronting him?"

"Marik thought it'd be a good idea to send Hirutani a warning. I mean, it's only a matter of time till you take over both the pards in Domino," Malik says, frowning a bit when he notices that I'm still standing. "We thought we'd track down one of the lower-ranked Cats, figured an Omega would be easier to deal with than a Beta."

I'm shaking my head before he's finished speaking. "Keith never really accepted that he was so low-ranked. He always thought he was important because he's the one who brought the Leopard strain to Japan."

"Well, he wasn't," Malik snaps, and for a second I almost think Marik has taken control again. "Anyway, Marik went out into the city looking for an Omega. We found Keith and the chick with him; Marik sorta mentioned that you weren't gonna give the kitten _or_ the Beta back without a fight, and that Hirutani _is_ going to lose.

"And _that's_ when Keith said you were going to be put 'back in your place'... then went into details of what _he_ was going to do to you."

My eyes narrow, and I hear myself growl. I know what was said, basically because Keith was never original in his... attentions. Right now I could probably do a little more than just kiss the Ishtars. Thankfully this time I keep the thought to myself.

"Long story short," Malik says after I stop snarling, "the Omega was Marik's lunch, and his female has probably delivered my message by now, provided she's stopped her whimpering and crying." Before I can say anything, a tanned hand catches my wrist, and I suddenly find myself sprawled out on top of the human twin.

"What--" is all I get out before his tongue is in my mouth. Really, I've been kissed more in the past sixteen hours than I have in my entire life up to last night. And I definitely could get used to it.

"I love you," Malik says against my lips after a moment. I know my eyes must be in danger of popping out of my head, but he continues before I can speak: "I won't let anyone hurt you. _We_ won't let that happen. We'll never hurt you."

I pull back just enough to look into Malik's eyes and find both twins staring back. I'm still trying to find my voice enough to reply--how? I barely know them!--when a scream comes from somewhere towards the front of the mansion.

I'm on my feet and halfway down the hall, Malik/Marik right behind me, before it hits me that the scream was closer to a howl of rage and mourning.

When I get outside, I see why.

...shit. Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

* * *

Sorry for the cliffhanger there, folks, but this section is still running side-by-side with **Blood and Sacrifice**. And for the record, if you think Malik and Marik are moving too fast, please reread the epilogue to **Cursed Gold**; long story short, the twins have been watching Jounouchi for quite some time and really do feel what they're saying.

Chapter five coming soon. Really.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimers and warnings can be found in Chapter One.

Dedications: My wonderful beta reader Eternal SailorM, who flew solo for this chapter. Also the kitties Aya, Biscuit and Mika for keeping me company while I type.

* * *

It's getting dark by the time I hear the front door open again. I don't have to look up to know that Dorobou and Yami are here; most of my attention is focused on my kit, who has been curled up in my lap ever since... 

I feel the man next to me tense slightly, and glance to my right to find Marik's attention focused on the air close to the front door. The wolves are all too upset to notice if there's anyone else--particularly anyone of the non-breathing set--in the house; a subtle sniff of the air brings a hint of ozone mixed with jasmine.

Fuck me sideways, but _someone_ takes her job description seriously...

"Jounouchi-san." I glance left to see Dartz crouched next to me. This hit him hard, but nothing like me or the wolves or even the kit. It's like he's detached himself from the situation. And he's still whispering. "Should I take the kit to his room?"

I nod slightly and pass Ryuzaki to the other Cat. "Thank you," I murmur in reply. He nods and heads quietly up the stairs and I stand up. I'm on my feet when Magnum speaks.

"Bakura? Where were you?"

Dorobou smells on edge--that's not all I scent on him, but I'm ignoring _that_ for the moment. "We--"

"Mai sent us to Kaiba Corp," Yami cuts in. "She said we'd be safe there until dark."

Oh, yes, taking her job description _way_ too seriously. I manage not to roll my eyes. And Marik is practically buzzing with energy; he won't strike out, but he's keeping note of exactly where she's standing at any given second. I'm the love interest of a living ouija board.

I see Dorobou start to turn again and decide to paint a clear picture for everyone. "Dorobou." I wait until he's looking at me to speak again. "Who the fuck are you talking to?" Hey, who knew I could actually speak calmly at a time like this?

Dorobou points over his shoulder:"Her. Tell me you see her, Kitty. Please." His voice is strained, like he'd been screaming and his throat hasn't recovered yet. Add on the fact that he said 'please' and I can tell this has been one hell of a day. I wish I could lie to him... but I've already lied enough; he still thinks I don't remember my turning.

It pains me to shake my head. "The only people I see over there are you and Yami... but I smell three." Fuck, I hate when my voice breaks like this. I'm eighteen, almost nineteen, and I haven't cried since the night I was turned; I can't break down now, not when my family needs me to be strong. The only thing that keeps me grounded is the hand resting against the small of my back.

Dorobou suddenly starts laughing, liberally mixed with sobs as he turns to face the spot where the ozone-and-jasmine smell is 'standing.' "I've heard of job dedication before, but seriously, Mai, this is just too fucking much."

Shit, this is worse than... actually, I've _never_ seen him this close to breaking before. Quite frankly, it scares me stupid. I'm moving before I can process that the wolves are getting nervous, catching Dorobou's arm. Yami meets my gaze, and he looks as scared as I feel.

"Dorobou... Bakura. Come on, let's go to the den," I say a whole hell of a lot calmer than I feel. "It's quieter there. Just you, me, Yami and Marik."

That one eyebrow quirks when I say 'Marik,' but Yami whispers to him, "Come on, Kura. Let's go," before he can say anything. I just _know_ he's going to come back to that later, but right now, I need to get him out of the front hall.

"Okay." Dorobou sounds... cheery, and that's almost scarier than the laughter. I let Yami guide him towards the den, moving ahead to get the door. I wait until they've moved past me to turn a look to the wolves. Apparently Magnum caught on because his eyes are locked on the spot by the door.

"Please take the body to the boathouse," I say to the nearest wolf, a redhead who turned tear-filled eyes to me. "Her soul is still here; your Ulfric can decide what to do with the shell."

Marik pulls me back from the door and closes it then wraps his arms around me from behind. It would be very easy to collapse into him, but no. Dorobou needs us; I'll worry about myself later. Still, I turn my head slightly and nuzzle Marik's cheek. Somehow I know Malik is pretty close as well, and the thought helps me level out a bit more.

"I'm fine."

Bullshit, Dorobou still sounds half out of it, and if he honestly thinks any of us is buying that then he's got another thing coming. Marik licks my neck before loosening his grip so I can cross to where my brother and friend are by the windows. He isn't too far behind me, but he stops at the fireplace.

"Still," I say, "maybe you should sit down. Both of you," I clarify with a nod to Yami. Hell, I think we could all just use a nap right about now,. but you'll never hear me say that around _this_ group. For all I know, it could resolve into a round of _where is the strangest place you've ever had sex_, and I really don't feel like going there right now.

I have maybe half a second to wonder why Dorobou's looking at all of us that way before he speaks up again. "I'm not going to freak out again. I mean it; I'm not crazy." It sounds like he's getting all worked up again, and I hope Yami's able to calm him since I don't know _how_ much longer I can maintain '_oniisan_-mode,' as Ryou once called it (hey, he was sick at the time, and I _am_ an older brother, you know).

Yami steps around Dorobou, one hand carding through my brother's hair. "We know, Kura," he says in a soothing tone. "Of course you're not crazy. Remember, I saw her too." And I think Marik did too, but he's (thankfully) keeping his mouth shut. Yami sits down on one of the couches, patting the seat next to him. "Come here."

Dorobou moves--and the next second I hear glass crack and my brother cry out in pain and Yami shouting and the window is exploding since I'm turning it into an exit. If Marik is behind me, I can't tell; I'm chasing gunpowder and sweat. The shooter can't outrun me now, I've just caught his scent--oily, unclean--and I shift without thinking about it.

Enemy. Rival. Hurt pard. Hurt brother. Gunpowder. Human, no powers. Where? Up. Left. No, further. Right. Left. _Here!_

Human smells of fear. Good. Human hurt brother, human will die. Quick death, one bite. No, slow. Claw and scratch, human will bleed out. Wolves close by. No! My prey! Stupid human prey will die at _my_ claws!

Strange scent, doesn't fit. Not trees. Not earth. Nice smell. Human--no, not human? No, not-human can't have prey-human!

"Calm yourself, suncat."

Strange not-human doesn't small of fear. Worry? Why? Is not-human pard? Scent is familiar, spicy. Strange not-human... is mate?

"Do not kill him. The Boss needs answers," strange not-human still talking. Voice concerned. Why? Not-human concerned over me...? Yes. Mate. Mustn't worry mate. Mate will help make prey-human suffer. "Let's take him back to the house now, suncat."

Strange name. Pleases me. Mate is closer, hand scratching ears. Prey-human still smells of fear. Good. Shift? Cat-human is weak form, still stronger than human though.

"If you run, I will rip your throat out with my teeth," I hiss to the shooter as I stand. I haven't fully shifted back yet; a fine layer of fur is still covering my body and my claws are extended. Hell, my tail is twitching; I almost _want_ him to run.

"Get up," Marik snarls. The feline side of me takes notice and purrs; the rest of me is torn between irate over this waste of flesh and frightened over my reaction to Marik's actions. What the hell was he thinking, following an angry Were? I could have killed him... but I--the Cat--let him come close. Why!

And the dumb shit on the ground responds to the _ahmet's_ command by grabbing for his rifle. I don't know which of us nails the bastard first, but I know I cut him to the bone with my claws and Marik kicks him in the face. And he's down for the count.

"My, he follows instructions well," I deadpan, shifting back to my fully human form before moving to grab the would-be assassin's ankle. Before I can lean down, though, Marik nudges me aside and wrestles the trench coat off the guy. Hmph, now is _not_ the time for fashion critique... and why the hell did said coat just smack me in the face?

"Put that on, suncat," Marik says, eyes averted to the lump on the ground. I'm about to ask why when he adds, "The Boss'd kill me if I jumped you out here."

...oh yeah, Dorobou said something once about me being attractive (I don't buy it) and that it'd be a bad idea to run the streets naked for that reason alone. I slip on the coat and button it most of the way before grabbing the assassin's ankle.

"Coming?" I call back to Marik. And I'll be damned, he's blushing.

"Not yet, but if that coat slips open..." I hear him mutter before falling silent. We walk the rest of the way without speaking.

Until dumb shit wakes up.

"I'll never talk! You can't make me! I swear I'll kill you both!"and so on for a full five minutes. He's about to start the rant all over again when I decide that's enough.

"Look," I snarl. "I. Am so close to eating your tongue. And I _don't_ mean in a fun way. So shut the _fuck_ up with the threats." He only has enough time to yelp before I fling him through the window to the den.

"You're hot when you're being evil," Marik says, and I almost swear he's devouring me with his eyes. I opt not to answer (I am _not_ blushing, I'm just hot from the chase), and climb back in the window just in time to hear Yami say something about busting the guy up... and return to sender?

"Special delivery via Leopard Express," I can't help but quip. "I kinda left the gun behind. Good luck getting anything useful out of this fuckwit."

"Well, he makes good threats," Mar--shit, no, _Malik_ offers. What, do they have a revolving door in their head or something! And it's not helping that Malik is giving me the exact same look as his brother was outside.

"I'm not telling you who sent me!" Great, fuckwit's gotten a second wind. "I'd sooner die than--"

"Fuckwit, we already know who's paying you," Dorobou cuts in. "I want to know who the leak is. Where's _Shachou_"--and _damn_, Dorobou sounds pissy and sarcastic!--"getting his information?"

Aaaaand fuckwit's clammed up. Great. I stalk over to him, crouch down, and flash a dangerous grin.

"Sweetie," I purr/growl, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Malik is giving me a complete 'what the fuck' look, but I'm busy working at the moment. "The easy way is, you give us a name, and I won't do anything else to you. You can walk out the front door and leave. The hard way is, you keep quiet, and Ishtar gets to cut you up. After he gets bored, Yami uses you for target practice. After that, even if you're dead, Dorobou will _make_ you tell us what we want to know. And there won't _be_ a body to find because I'll _eat it_. So, dear, what's it going to be?"

I _could_ have mentioned Magnum and the wolves... but if he picks option one it'll be so rewarding to hear him scream as the pack rips him apart. They deserve revenge for their Lupa, after all.

"I don't know, Kitty," Dorobou chimes in; I'm glad to hear him sounding like himself again. "I bet Fuckwit here would give you indigestion." He flashes an innocent smile, and I _know_ he's going to, ahem, sweeten the deal: "I vote we fill the pool with acid and toss him in."

"No, no, no. We should slice him up into bite-size pieces and dump him in the shark tank at the aquarium," Malik chimes in. "Sharks'll eat anything. I saw one eat a Volkswagen once."

...I _don't_ wanna know.

And now it's fun for the whole family as Yami joins in: "I hear there's an Egyptian exhibit at the museum. We could always mummify him alive and add him to it."

"Mutou-kun!" Don't tell me Varon-- "You have to at _least_ remove the stomach and liver before you mummify him." Yep, he's getting in on it too. If we keep this going maybe my Beta will have a few suggestions.

And the stupid bastard bleeding on the carpet (Seto will not be pleased) gives in before we can _really_ start having fun. "Amelda!"

Instantly a flash of reddish fur and rending flesh goes through my head, and I have to bite back a snarl. I hear Dorobou attempting to curse, but he's too pissed to finish his thought.

"_Bastard!_" No, wait, he did get one out.

McFuckwit is speaking again: "That's all I was ever told. Just Amelda, no last name." He looks at each of us, obviously worried that we'll go back on our word. "C-can I go now? Please?"

...it is _so_ tempting to just eat this guy. Really. Instead of saying so, however, I merely nod. "Get the fuck out of here; go bled somewhere else." And I've never seen a human move that fast before.

Maybe ten seconds pass before Mall--no, fuck, will they quit that!--Marik speaks up. "Shouldn't you have mentioned the large, angry wolf pack on the front lawn, suncat?"

I smirk. "Where's the fun in that?"

And I think I'm going to get jumped sometime in the near future if the look in Marik's eyes means anything.

"By the way, nice job missing Kura at the restaurant earlier, asshole!" When the hell did Yami get to the window! "I'm sure Cynthia-san and Mai-san appreciated you _shooting_ them!"

I was right; his shrieks as my wolves tear into him is music to my ears.

"I still think you should throw on a shirt."

I ignore Marik's complaining as I stride past him down the stairs. I had to wait for the screams to die down before I could call Kajiki, and used the opportunity to grab a pair of jeans. And, since McFuckwit's coat fits me so nicely as is, I opted to forgo the shirt.

Cue Marik bitching. Honestly, you'd think he'd be happy I'm showing skin here...

"At least button it up!" And now it's the other twin whining at me. I'd smack the pair of them if it were possible; this revolving door thing is making me dizzy.

"Shush," I say over my shoulder, cell phone to my ear. On the other end I hear a click followed by 'hello.' I never can resist: "Four on one."

"You are _never_ going to let me live that down, are you?" Kajiki sighs.

"Nope, it's too much fun to aggravate you. Listen," I add without a segue, "are you guys still in Domino?"

"I sent most of the Cats back with Cynthia-sama," he replies, his tone curious. "The only ones still here are me and Sasame, and that's only because she has a pilot's licence."

I perk up immediately; Malik looks confused. "Got room for at least four passengers? I have information for Pegasus an I _so_ want to deliver it in person."

"Are you at the mansion?"

"There's a helicopter pad behind the house."

"See you in fifteen."

Neither of us bothers to say goodbye since he'll be here soon, so I snap my cell shut and continue down to the den. Malik is still right behind me.

"You are _not_ going to Tokyo without us," he says, his tone bordering on dangerous. The Cat in me sits up and takes notice; the rest of me wants to know who the hell the Ishtars think they are, my keepers?

"Did you miss the _four_ passengers part?" I shoot back. "Four. You, me, Yami and Dorobou."

No sooner is that out of my mouth than I hear, "You're not going to Tokyo."

"Maybe just the three of us," Malik says with a smirk; I ignore him and step into the den just as Dorobou replies.

"I am going," he insists, and I don't blame him. If someone hired assassins to kill me, I would want to deal with the man signing their checks myself.

"There's no way in hell," Varon snaps back. "Jounouchi and Ishtar can handle it."

...let's just ignore the fact that Jounouchi is all for Dorobou coming with.

"I'm the one they want dead. I want to see for myself that no one else tries for me."

"Well, that's great and all, but if you go off and tear the stitches I just oh so _lovingly_ put in that shoulder of yours, I'll just stand here and watch you bleed everywhere," Varon shoots back. "I might give you a sponge to soak it up, but I'm not a seamstress. Besides, I'm invoking my doctor status to _order_ you _and_ Mutou-kun to stay the fuck in Domino!"

...note to self: don't piss Varon off.

"Okay." The hell! _Dorobou_ gave in! "You win. We'll stay here." He sounds... like he's up to something.

"So glad you see it my way," Varon says with that little smirk/smile of his. I take this opportunity to speak up, if only to keep Dorobou from cackling over his ruse working so far.

"Then I guess we'll call from Tokyo." All eyes are on me, and I see Dorobou quirk an eyebrow. Yeah, he's taking a train as soon as he can get away from Varon and Yami. "Kajiki and Sasame are picking us up; I want to be there when the Tigers find out."

And I almost swear Malik just moaned. I glance at him from the corner of my eye, but I can't see any reason... unless I did something. Maybe it was that growl on 'Tigers find out,' I don't know.

"I'll have my cell phone on me," Dorobou says; I'm not sure what he's thinking by his tone, but he shot a look at Malik.

"We'll see you when you get back then." And Yami finished the thought. I really, _really_ should behave myself... but I have to say it.

"Wait till we're _all_ out of the room before you jump each other again. Seriously, did you even _attempt_ to shower?"

And Yami is all sorts of fun colours. Embarrassed _and_ angry; ten points for me. Dorobou is smirking, so I know he's not upset. "Well," he drawls, "there was a shower involved."

"How 'bout soap? And I _don't_ mean as an alternative lube."

"_Yes!_" Yami snaps, and the embarrassment has won out. I _have_ to make things worse.

"Not thoroughly, though. I can still smell you all over each other." I smirk and add, "Sex and my brother are two things I'd rather _not_ think about in the same sentence."

"We've got a ride to catch, don't we?" Malik interjects, interrupting my fun. His voice sounds a bit off to me; a sidelong look doesn't reveal much to me, though his scent has shifted somewhat. Hmm, strange. I hope he's not coming down with something...

...I swear, the Cat is controlling my life more each day.

"Malik?" Dorobou says, drawing Ishtar's attention. "Remember what I told you." And Malik just went red in the face; I'm curious, but not too sure I want to know.

"Like Malik said, our ride's waiting," I say with a tiny shrug. "We'll call you after Amelda's kitty chow." I can feel Malik's eyes on me again and that odd shift in his scent become stronger. What _is_ that?

"Sure," Dorobou agrees. And _there's_ the smirk; I knew he couldn't hold it back too much longer. "I'll keep an ear out for you."

"Later, guys," I say, waving over my shoulder as I leave the room, Malik right behind me. I wait till we're just out of earshot before commenting, "Dorobou is _so_ on the next train to Tokyo."

"He'll hijack a chopper," Malik insists. How he got next to me so fast, I have no idea, but I do know his hand slipped around the coat and into my back pocket. His scent is _still_ off, and it's driving me nuts that I can't place it.

"Make a bet on it?" I smirk at him before continuing: "If you win, we spend a whole day doing anything you want. If I win, we do whatever I desire for a day."

"Deal." Somehow I don't trust that gleam in his eyes.

We cease speaking when we get to the helipad, where the Crawfords' helicopter is just setting down. Kajiki throws open the door and gives the pair of us a searching look. "Where's Bakura-san?" he calls over the sound of the propellers.

"Taking alternative transportation," I reply. "It's just us this time."

"Hop in," the Tiger says with a smirk. "The sooner we get to Tokyo the sooner you'll tell me what the hell is going on."

"Thanks. You know Ishtar?" I ask as I climb aboard, Malik right behind me; I think he's annoyed that he had to take his hand off my ass. Kajiki and Sasame both glance back at the Egyptian as he sits down next to me.

"I know _of_ him," Sasame says after an appraising look. "Should we be worried that you're making the trip as well, Ishtar-kun?"

Malik grins. "Not if you keep your pretty eyes facing front," he says brightly. Both Tigers blink, glance at me, smirk and take their places in the pilot's and co-pilot's seats. I frown and am about to ask them what _that_ was all about when Malik reaches over and pulls me across the seat. The next thing I know is his lips are crushed to mine and his hand is down my pants.

Mmm, so _that's_ how arousal smells on Malik Ishtar. Somehow I think this flight just got more interesting.

* * *

And that's it for chapter five. I know, no sex again, but it was taking me too long trying to add one in. Maybe when I get **Avarice** done I'll write a PWP side story set during the trip to Tokyo as well as one other occurring while the boys are still in Tokyo, I'm still undecided. 

Chapter six coming soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimers and warnings can be found in Chapter One.

Dedications: My wonderful beta reader Eternal SailorM, who flew solo for this chapter. Also the kitties Aya, Biscuit and Mika for keeping me company while I type.

* * *

Normally I'd be self-conscious to have so many eyes on me as I walk into a room, but at the moment it gives me a sense of power and not a little sensuality. The tigers can obviously smell Malik all over me, I know my scent's all over the Egyptian and they're keeping a respectful distance. Although _that_ may be from the way Malik's arm has yet to leave my waist. 

And Pegasus has that annoying smirk on again. If he wasn't the Master of Tokyo I might smack him a good one. But, he _is_ on good terms with Seto, so I curb my urges and nod politely.

"Pegasus," I say (and without growling, I'm proud to note) before offering a more formal greeting to his Lady: clasped hands and a slight bow while maintaining eye contact. "Lady Cynthia. Thank you for meeting with me."

"Not at all, Jyonouchi," Lady Cynthia replies. "Ryouta said that you had news concerning the situation with Bakura."

I cast a quick glance around the room; most, if not all, of Pegasus' tigers are here but they aren't the ones I'm bothered with. I'm looking for red, and I _just_ found it. Malik gives my waist a slight squeeze before moving away a couple of steps.

"Yes, Lady. We had an opportunity to speak with the assassin behind the incident at the restaurant earlier today." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Amelda stiffen slightly before relaxing. He apparently thinks we don't know who's footing the bill. Poor stupid tiger.

"Did you learn anything new?" That's Pegasus. It sounds as if he noticed the red tiger's reaction and is praying that his assumptions are wrong.

"Actually, I got a name," I say, noticing the sudden tension around me; the tigers have picked up on their Master's unease. I'm finding myself curious about the man standing opposite Lady Cynthia. Somehow he puts me in mind of Malik... or rather, Marik.

"So you know where the leak is?" the stranger asks. I'm momentarily distracted by his facial scarring, which remind me more than a little of the markings on my lover's back. The scars look like pictographs, or maybe words.

"I'm not the only one with that knowledge," I reply, nodding slightly to Malik before adding, "Isn't that right, Amelda?"

The only warning I get is a snarl; then there's a blur of red lunging toward me and three yellow gold blurs attacking it. I merely blink calmly as Amelda growls at me from where Kajiki, Sasame and another tiger hold him in place only a few feet away from where I stand. Malik--no, _Marik_ has placed himself at my side, and I guess he must have a pretty impressive knife collection of his own considering that's a silver blade he's got poised to strike. That Cat's purring at this display of protectiveness, and for the first time I find myself agreeing with it.

Lady Cynthia is staring hard at all of us, and even Pegasus seems to have been thrown for a loop. The rest of the tigers are starting to realize just what, exactly, Amelda has done if the low growls and snarls around me are any indication. And in the midst of all this Marik and myself are the only ones who aren't angry or shocked.

"You were told once not to antagonize an Alpha," I say coldly as I step past Marik. "And you already knew before then that I'm stronger than you. So you tried to be smart, didn't you?"

"Fucking _child_," Amelda snarls, struggling to break free from those holding him. "You don't _deserve_ your rank!"

"But I _am_ an Alpha regardless. So you went after someone close to me instead." Before anyone can blink I take one step forward and backhand the traitor, my hand closed in a fist. I can hear his jawbone crack. "You're the worst kind of fool there is. You've no idea what you have done."

The bastard laughs. "I've guaranteed that your brother"--he hisses the word--"will be dead by his next birthday and the heir will be returned to where he belongs."

Ah, so that's why things have gotten crazy lately. It's useful information; I'll pass it along to Dorobou when we talk later. For now, though...

"No. You have betrayed your pride and, more importantly--"

"--you have betrayed the Master," Kajiki finishes with a low growl.

I'm a bit taken aback when he starts laughing. "I never _asked_ for that fucking lunatic to be my master! I don't care! What are these spineless _kittens_ gonna do; kill me? I'll just keep after your stupid human 'brother,' you fucking waste of fur!"

Marik snarls and IU just manage to catch my balance as he pulls me aside and digs his blade into Amelda's skin... and oh, yeah, that _is_ silver; flesh doesn't bubble like that on a Were otherwise. I look over to see that the stranger has moved from behind the Crawfords and is making his way over to us. Something about him sets my hair on end and I bite back a snarl.

"_What_ did you call my suncat?" I hear Marik growl out. Amelda doesn't answer, and I turn my gaze back to see him peering past my mate--yeah, might as well admit it to myself at least--at the stranger. His eyes widen and he tries to wrench free from Kajiki and the other two holding him.

"For your betrayals, there is but one punishment," Pegasus says, his voice like ice, and I realize just how powerful this vampire truly is. "Eternal death. Your body will be torn asunder by your pridemates, your blood will be spilled by silver, and your soul will go to Rishid."

"Hello, cousin," the stranger--Rishid, I suppose--says as he stops next to Marik. Ah, so that's why he set my skin crawling; he's full _ahmet_.

Marik gives the other a sidelong glance. "Rishid," he replies with a slight nod. "Didn't know you were in town. I thought you went back to Cairo."

"I've been back for a few months. Mr. Pegasus contacted me for the unlikelihood that one of his Cats _was_ responsible," Rishid intones in a tone I would classify as either bored or dead.

"I could--"

"Marik," I snap, moving closer to him. "Just end this. I want to let Dorobou know that the leak's been taken care of."

I find myself on the receiving end of a searching look and return it with a steady gaze of my own. After a moment Marik nods slightly and turns back to Amelda. The red tiger doesn't even have time to do more than let out a small yelp; before the sound is finished my mate's blade flashes across Amelda's throat and the pride is surging forward. I catch a faint snap of ozone which is abruptly gone, both because Rishid has devoured the soul and the smell of blood is overpowering.

I wrinkle my nose slightly, sweeping my fingers across my face and coming back with the traitor's blood. "Ugh, shower. After calling Dorobou," I mutter to myself before licking my fingers clean and pulling out my cell.

It barely rings before Dorobou answers. "What's up, Kitty?"

"Amelda's cat food," I reply. "Are you on the train?"

"Well..."

I glance over at Marik, slightly confused by the intensity of the look he's giving me. "I've got a bet riding on this."

"Yeah, I'm on the train," he answers after a moment. "I told Varon I was coming to Tokyo."

I nod slightly. "I know." I pause as Kajiki hands me a note and notice that Pegasus and Lady Cynthia are exiting the room. I read the message and relay it to Dorobou: "Your old man's in the last place you saw him. And from what Amelda said before Rishid ate him, there's a deadline on your head."

"Uh-huh." Dorobou doesn't sound the least bit surprised. "I'll take care of it. Tell Rishid I said 'hey.' Oh, and call to have someone uncuff Yami," he adds before the line goes dead.

I stare at my cell for a second, all the time I have before Marik plucks it from my hand. I turn a hard look on him and reach for my phone; he quickly shoves it in his pocket.

"I need to call Seto."

My mate smirks. "After," he says before grasphing my wrist and dragging me out of the room. Before I can ask what the hell he means by that he's licking the blood from my neck.

Well, Yami will just have to wait.

* * *

It's been a very long night. 

After Marik finished, ahem, cleaning me up, I placed a quick call to Domino and sent Dartz to take car of Yami. Then Malik took over again and suggested we head over to Dorobou's old home, the last place saw his old man. Apparently the two of them messed with the fence way back when and no one bothered to fix it, who really knows.

"_How_ are you so sure that no one's patched the fence in the past two years?" I find myself asking, staring at the razorwire electrified deathtrap in front of me. From the corner of my eye I can see him pouting at me. "What? It's a valid question."

Rather than say anything, Malik walks to a section of fence next to an old, gnarled tree. Its branches hang just over the fence itself, but one would still have to climb the fence in order to reach them. Either that or be able to jump five feet straight up, which only a Were or vamp would be capable of. Before I can ask what the hell he's up to he places one hand flat against the fence.

"What the hell!" I snarl, yanking him back before it registers that he's still on his feet. "You had no way of knowing--"

"Bakura the elder doesn't spend much time patroling the grounds," Malik interrupts. "The Boss and I 'fixed' the fence here so that Ryou could get out when they cut and run."

I find myself nodding; Ryou climbs trees almost as good as any Cat (and since we've moved into the Kaiba mansion I've had plenty of opportunities to watch him do so), but he's not so good on ropes--or fences apparently. "Fine, point proven," I sigh. "But do me a favour and grab hold. I trust myself attempting to haul us both over more than I trust you to _not_ slip and get caught on that razorwire."

"I used to do this every night, Katsuya." He sounds annoyed; I ignore the tone and give him another hard look.

"Not recently. And _why_ are you arguing against a chance to potentially grope me in public?"

He opens and closes his mouth a few times before responding: "Good point." He steps behind me and wraps one arm around my waist, the other looping across my shoulders.

I guage the distance from the ground to the nearest branch once more; it's a fairly easy jump, I shouldn't have to shift any. "Hold on," I say before crouching low to gain a little extra force.

Malik yelps slightly and tightens his grip a fraction as I leave the ground, relaxing only after I've hauled us up onto the branch. "Why didn't you warn me!" he deamnds, his hold transferring to the branch. "And how'd you do that? No one's _that_ good at a standing jump!"

"I _said_ 'hold on,'" I reply, crawling over the branch to the trunk of the tree. "And _I'm_ that good. I used to play basketball before, and I _am_ a Leopard, Malik-chan."

He scowls at that but follows me across and drops onto the ground almost as quietly as I do, rather impressive since we're both wearing motorcycle boots. He glances around for a moment before nodding towards me and dashing across the lawn. I'm right on his heels, scenting the air as we move. Apparently Dorobou's old man isn't a big fan of security guards; these's an old taint of human sweat in the air but it's days old. And from the way Malik's moving, this must be a fairly common occurance.

"We can climb in through here," he whispers, too low for the human ear but loud enough for me to hear him clearly. "The old man's office is the next one over. The Boss'll be there, so we should check for potential witnesses."

I nod, knowing that he'll never hear my own whispered reply. I slip through the window first. A quick glance reveals that it's a library; Dorobou's scent is still in the air and I'm picking up Yuugi's ozone-and-vanilla as well. I hear Malik climb in behind me and slide the window down a bit. I can hear voices in the next room, but what the man saves on security he spends on soundproofing since I can't make out what's being said.

"Upstairs first," I mouth, waiting for his nod before crossing to the door. I absently note that Dorobou's scent gets stronger while Yuugi's fades; I gues my friend is still in this room. Huh, wonder what he makes of the two of us slipping in quietly and casing the house while Dorobou kills his father? I ignore the faint sense of unease I feel as we slip out of the library and make our way to the second floor. I note that Malik immediately crosses to one door and tries the knob. I follow and sniff slightly, picking up a faint hint of thyme and sakura.

"Empty," I murmur. "Gone at least ten hours." He looks relieved at this before moving down the hall; I'll have to ask about that later.

It takes only a few minutes more to check the rest of this floor before hitting the attic. I'd swear this place was abandoned if I hadn't smelled Dorobou and his old man so clearly. I nod to Malik, who replies in kind before leading me down the back stairway. Once on the first floor again I sniff the air once more.

My breath catches in my throat and I hiss. Blood is thick in the air now, blood and Dorobou and the old man, and I can't locate that Yuugi-scent anymore.

"Katsuya?" Malik asks, resting a hand on my arm. "What do you smell?"

"Blood."

"Whose?"

I shake my head, unable to determine _which_ hint of thyme is mingled with the copper taint of the blood in the air. The rain scent and that horrid coffee stench are both doused by it, and there's another softer _something_ beneath all of them that I can't catch; the only clean scent I'm picking up is Malik's saffron-and-lemon.

He swears under his breath and takes off down the hall. I catch and pass him effortlessly, but he's right next to me again when I come to a dead stop at the door to the left of the library. The blood smell is thicker here, but now I can make out the faint sound of two hearts beating... strong beats at that.

"The fucking hell?" I mutter, ignoring the confused look from Malik as I shove the door open. The next sound out of my mouth is a very confused meow. My earlier recap is _nothing_ compared to storming into the office to find a body on the floor--Dorobou did a number on the old man's face--a confused Dorobou and my no-longer-dead best friend sprawled out on the floor.

Malik looks from Yuugi to me. "I thought Yami was still in Domino," he says, but I hear the question in his tone.

"He is," I manage to say calmly. "That's Yuugi."

"The dead one?" That drags me out of my confusion and shock long enough to smack my mate; it's just a quick thump to the back of his head, but it gets his attention. "Ow!"

"The _formerly_ dead one," I correct, shooting him a little glare before turning to my brother. "Dorobou?"

The question is only one wors, but it's loaded: What happened? How's Yuugi here... back... breathing? Is Dorobou himself okay?

"I don't know." And _that's_ a loaded answer if I've ever heard one. I can't even really 'read' his scent, there's so much going on there. Instead I turn to Yuugi and find myself falling back into our old silent communication: one eyebrow quirks and I tilt my head slightly.

"Don't ask me," he replies witha shrug. Before he can add anything else Dorobou speaks again.

"As fun as it is to sit around and play guessing games, we should worry about getting out of here before anyone... fun show up... like the police." He's got a good point; Dorobou and Malik don't exactly follow the law _all_ the time, and I'm not one of the local Weres. Being found at the scene of a murder would be _very_ bad.

"The house is clear," Malik says as I nod in agreement. "Katsuya said Amane's been gone for hours." My eyes narrow at Dorobou's relieved sigh. There's thyme to _his_ scent as well, after all...

"Who's Amane?" It comes out calmly, but with a bit of... well, bite to it. If we need to worry about another crazed relation, I will _not_ be a happy Leopard.

And that's Dorobou's 'oops' expression. "Amane's my little sister. She and her mother still live here. If she wasn't here, she won't be a problem. She's..." he trails off, apparently searching for the right word.

"Nice?" Yuugi says as he climbs unsteadily to his feet; I recognize the tone as the same he once used to describe Bitch Queen Mazaki as 'not all that bad' back in junior high. Granted, he _is_ the one who gave her that lovely nickname in the very next breath, but we're the only one's who know that little fact.

"That works," Dorobou says with a shrug. "So, are we leaving now?"

"That sounds like a stellar idea," I drwal, crossing my arms over my chest. "Any idea as to how we're to do so without tracking blood through the foyer?"

"Give me your shirt."

Malik blinks before realizing that was directed at him. This is followed by a half-hearted glare and my mate slipping out of his hooded black pullover; I'm not complaining because the grey wifebeater he's wearing beneath it leaves just enough skin on display for my taste. He tosses the shirt to Dorobou, who's shed his gloves and bloodied shirt, before snapping, "You aren't getting my pants, Boss. These are new."

_There's_ the eyeroll. "Forgive me if I'm not interested in getting you out of your pants," Dorobou drawls. "Kitty might be, though." I pick up an odd spike of embarrassment and interest in Yuugi's scent and have to snicker.

"I'm not the only one," I say casually, smirking when my best friend turns guilty eyes towards me. "Hey, looking's no big, but don't forget he's mine." Meaning: I'm not sharing this time. He'd better not even--

"But Jyonouchi-_kun_," and he's using The Whine, "we always--"

"Ix-nay. We'll discuss it later." No need (or time) for Malik to learn about my sexual history pre-turning _here_. I glance over to see that Dorobou is in thief-mode, carefully examining the artifacts scattered around the office and stowing those that pass whatever test he's giving them into his sling. Hmm, how much can he fit in that thing...?

The nearly imperceptable sound of an approaching vehicle draws me to the window and I glance out, unable to really see past the fence. Although in all honesty that's probably mostly due to the bloodsplatter on the glass itself.

"Katsuya?"

"Jyonouchi-kun?"

I wave off the two of them; I need to concentrate for a moment. I tug my not-so-new coat up and use the hem to keep my hands from actually touching the window as I open it. I _just_ catch the scents of gasoline and tiger before the idiot starts leaning on the horn.

"Damn stupid tiger," I snarl. "_This_ beats the four-on-one thing."

Dorobou starts snickering. "Kajiki is the most impatient getaway driver ever. I'm glad he didn't used to work with us."

I shake my head as my mate and Yuugi start laughing as well. I'm surrounded by crazy people... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

For those wondering at the subtext, I am, indeed, a fan of the Yuugi/Jyonouchi pairing. However, when as Yuugi was dead at the beginning of **Endless Loop** there was no way it could be possible save in a past-tense, preteen/teen experimentation stage. So yes, the Y/J subtext is intentional and has been cleared with ESM as canon in the EL universe. 

There will probably be only one more chapter and maybe an epilogue to go on **Avarice**, then I'm probably going to take a short break from this universe to gear up a bit for **Endear**. In the meanwhile, I might try to get that KaiJyo in my head out and work on my Thief King/Jyonouchi themes a bit.

Chapter seven coming soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimers and warnings can be found in Chapter One.

Dedications: My wonderful beta reader and co-author for the series Eternal SailorM. Also the kitties Aya, Biscuit and Mika for keeping me company while I type.

* * *

It's almost funny, the way Dorobou is doing everything in his power to avoid going inside. Even more amusing is the Yuugi-shadow he's developed. Of course, that might have something to do with the 'chat' Malik had with him on the helicopter; I'm not sure is I should be annoyed over hearing my mate tell my best friend _'If I catch you doing anything with my Katsuya you won't be coming back this time'_ or stick with amused. 

"Jyonouchi-san." I turn my head to see that Dartz has joined us. From his eyes and scent, something's up.

"Where's the kit?" is automatically my first question.

"Inside with the small Kaibas," he replies; I breathe a quiet sigh of relief. If Ryuzaki's fine then it's probably-- "We have _visitors_ at the gates."

_"Fuck,"_ I snarl, feeling my fangs sharpen. "I did _not_ want to deal with this shit until morning."

"Dartz! _There_ you are!" And Dorobou appears out of nowhere, Yuugi right behind him. "I need to introduce you to someone."

"It's okay," I say as my Leopard looks at me questioningly. "I'll handle this."

I walk away as Dorobou starts talking again. I wait for nearly a full minute before asking, "And you're following me because...?"

"The Boss is boring me," Malik responds, falling into step beside me. "I figure that whatever's happening out front _has_to be more interesting."

"I don't need any help, Malik-chan. I'm--"

"Yoiu did it again."

I stop in my tracks and turn to stare at him. "Did _what_ again?"

"Added _-chan_ to my name." He says it with a mixture of confusion and annoyance, almost like he doesn't understand but wants it to be of the good.

I actually have to take a minute to mentally backtrack to every time I've spoken to my mate--and realize that when I started to think of Malik as such I added an endearment without a second thought... although apparently up until now I kept it to myself.

"So I did," I remark as I start walking again. "Guess that means I'm keeping you."

"You can be a real asshole, Katsuya," Malik says as he falls into step with me once again. "I think I either love you or need extensive therapy."

The conversation leaves me in a good mood right up until the gates are in sight. Thanks to my guests being downwind, I had no real idea who my former Nimir Raj had sent; I'm annoyed to discover just which Leopards are waiting. What the fuck?

Hirutani is seriously pissing me off.

"What is this, amateur night?" I snark as I glower at the three Cats before me; the only one to meet my gaze for more than a few seconds in the German, and even then his eyes drop before a minute passes.

"Katsuya?" I hear Malik ask, and it doesn't escape my notice that all three of my guests turn their attention to him. "Who are your not-friends?"

Honestly, I could kiss him when he says stuff like that. Especially since the small fry just realized that my scent's all over Malik and looks like his eyes are about to pop out.

"The midget there is Esper Roba; tall, blond and ugly is Raphael; and the one with pink hair is Siegfried von Schraider." I turn a hard look on the trio and don't try to keep the growl out of my voice: "So what, is Hirutani sending you guys out in squads now?"

"Hirutani left town."

I snap my head around to lock eyes with Siegfried's. "He what?" I ask, ice in my voice. The larger and smaller Cats both flinch but the German doesn't falter under my glare. _This_ one used to delight in obeying Hirutani's orders; I'll have to watch him closely.

"Left town," Siegfried repeats. "Took what was left of the core pard and headed for Nagasaki."

"He said he was leaving the refuse behind," Roba finally adds, gaze still locked somewhere around my midsection.

I growl softly, eyes narrowing to slits. Hirutani is a fool; with Siegfried and Raphael in his ranks he _may_ have stood a chance against me. Siegfried had a passing respect for him while Raphael followed him blindly. Cutting them and Roba loose--especially since Roba has a lot of power for how small he is--will be a mistake he'll come to regret.

"And you came here because..."

It's Raphael who answers this time: "You vouched out effortlessly three years ago, without anyone to second you. You refused to return the kit and then accepted Dartz-san as pard. None of us is cut out to be an Alpha or a lone Were."

I take a moment to look them over. It appears that Hirutani was brutal in his elmination process as I can see that all of them are still bleeding. I feel Malik move to my side even as I make my decision.

"Isono-san," I direct to the nearest vamp guard. "Pass the word that there are three more Leopards on the grounds."

"Yes, sir," he responds even as he moves to direct the others. The trio looks wary but hopeful.

"You three need to see Varon _now_," I tell them before turning back towards the house. "I'll be damned if any of my pard is walking around with open wounds."

"Is this a good idea, suncat?" Marik asks as he takes control of their body; I almost snicker as my new Cats note the change in his scent with varying degrees of confusion.

I can't help but smirk. "Good for my pard, fatal for Hirutani. Next time that bastard shows his face in Domino, only one of us is walking away."

And it sure as hell won't be Hirutani.

* * *

Sometimes it might be a good thing that I miss out on the excitement. Not more than three minutes after Malik and I left the den to get some food for my Cats, I glanced out one of the windows and noted a Tokyo police cruiser sitting outside. Lovely. Aren't they a little, I don't know, _early_ for how long ago we left that godsforsaken city? 

No offense meant to Pegasus or Lady Cynthia, of course. I just don't like Tokyo when I have Domino.

I'm still rather impressed that I managed to keep my mate's attention away from the front of the house for the duration of the 'visit;' in case I haven't said it lately thank the gods for enhanced feline hearing. Although the petculli that one of those officers was wearing _has_ to go. Ugh, I'm going to have to shift and rub-mark everything all over again to kill that stench...

"So," I ask casually once we're outside the den again, "they're gone?"

Malik turns and gives me a very confused look; behind him Siegfried rolls his eyes. I really do need to have a talk with that Cat. "Who's gone, Katsuya?"

"Tokyo P.D."

...okay, I didn't expect that reaction, but it's still funny to watch his hands shoot up in the air. "Whatever it was, I swear I didn't do it!"

"Except that you did break and enter, nutball," Dorobou replies from inside the room; I lean in and sure enough he's smirking. "You just didn't commit another murder, is all."

Malik blinks. "Oh. Yeah. Guess I did. So," he adds nervously, "they're gone?"

_"Wie wurde dieser Dummkopf der Alphagehilfe?"_ Siegfried grumbles behind us, and I turn a sharp glare towards him.

"Don't think I don't know what you just said, _Larry_. It would be wise for you to _not_ piss me off," I snap back. I knew those German lessons Seto insisted upon would come in handy, but I didn't realize how at the time. It makes me feel more like I truly can control this small pard when the pink-haired Cat backs down and lowers his eyes in acknowledgement. To Malik I add a gentler, "They're gone, Malik-chan. Although the stench remains."

"Maybe we can spritz the whole house with Cop-B-Gone," Dorobou quips from his spot next to Yami. "Or burn the whole thing down and rebuild."

"I don't think so," Seto says, glaring at his deck. I honestly wish I knew what all this Duel Monsters hype was about. I only like two of the cards, and those are that black dragon and the panther guy. "Are you two finished yet?"

I shake my head as I settle back on the couch with Malik and keep one eye on the duel and one on my Cat. This won't be easy, but I'm home. That's all that really matters in the end.

* * *

Translations:  
_Wie wurde dieser Dummkopf der Alphagehilfe?_ - How did this fool become the alpha mate? 

Yes, this is the last chapter of **Avarice**, not counting the epilogue. I'm going to take a very short break after the epilogue to work on a few other stories of mine; I should be ready to go with **Endear** sometime within the next month. Possibly sooner. I won't really know until I sit down to write. All I really know for the moment is, Hirutani will be back in town and the Domino pard will deal with him once and for all. That's all you get for now.

Epilogue coming soon.


End file.
